From being housewives and part-time earners, these mothers who are Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program beneficiaries, grabbed the opportunity to start their own group micro-enterprise through the Sustainable Livelihood Program (SLP).

SLP is a capacity-building program of the DSWD that provides suitable income-generating opportunities to identified poor, vulnerable and marginalized program participants to help improve their socio-economic well-being.

Mixing it all up

These four mothers are members of the Kalikasan Sustainable Livelihood Program Association (SLPA). With P40,000.00 seed capital fund, they started their Meriendahan store located across the municipal hall of Rizal, Laguna.

Seed capital fund is a modality of SLP that gives participant one-time financial grant for purchasing tools, raw materials and other assets that are essential to start or expand their micro-enterprise.

Jenelyn, president of the Kalikasan SLPA, recalls how their group enterprise started.

At first, they sell siopao, nachos, burritos and palamig and they later add banana cue cassava cue at turon for more variety of merienda. Their regular customers are the municipal staff and students from the schools nearby.

Further, Glendalyn Asigurado shared how each of them works in the store to ensure that they get things done.